Charles Ellicott Commentary Hebrews 7:26

"For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;" — Hebrews 7:26 (ASV)

For such a high priest.—It is better to say, For such a one also became us as (our) High Priest. Such a priest as has been portrayed was the High Priest who was fitting for us—no one less exalted could have met our needs. The added words carry the description even further. The thought of a high priest immediately brings to mind the annual Day of Atonement, to which the characteristic ministry of the high priest belonged. As we read the following words, we cannot doubt their direct reference to the ceremonial observances of that day.

Holy.—This is not the word from Hebrews 3:1, but a word seldom used in the New Testament (except in quotations), though of frequent occurrence in the Septuagint (LXX) (Psalms 4:3; Psalms 16:10; Psalms 132:9; Psalms 132:16): the idea it contains is that of holy purity. The next word may denote either freedom from malice or evil, or freedom from guile (Romans 16:18); the former meaning is more likely here. These three words, denoting personal purity, innocence, and freedom from all pollution of sin, present the idea of which the ceremonial purity of the high priest was the type.

Seven days before the Day of Atonement, the high priest left his house and took up his residence in the Temple so that, being thus separated from people and things unclean, he might, when the day arrived, be found free from all defilement. Five washings and ten purifications were required of him on the day itself.

Separate from sinners.—These words may be understood in two ways—either as connecting with what precedes them or with what follows. If they extend the idea expressed by “undefined,” they point to the perfect sinlessness of our Lord, who lived among sinners and yet was always separated from their sin, not needing external separation to preserve Him from pollution.

If this phrase is to be joined with what follows, it points to the complete separation that now exists: our exalted Lord is forever removed from a life among transgressors. This latter view receives some support from Hebrews 9:28, but is on other grounds less probable. For the concluding words, compare Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 8:1; and Ephesians 4:10.